Speaking today in the European Parliament’s debate on the outcome of this week’s European Summit, Dacian Cioloş, President of Renew Europe, said
‘First of all, I would like to congratulate the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, for his steadfast determination to forge a compromise and especially for having done this in the spirit of collaboration and trust together with the European Parliament, which is vital for the challenges that face us.
‘In only a few weeks, Europe has managed to show unprecedented solidarity in response to one of the worst crises in our history which will be the indelible mark of our common efforts. My Group Renew Europe, made a battle horse of this relaunch plan already in April and May. Today it has become a reality.’
‘The historical dimension of this agreement should not distract us from examining what is on the table against what our own ambitions for Europe are. The Council prefers to use European funds to finance more national projects, to the detriment of community projects. National programmes must integrate European priorities and the Parliament must be at the forefront in ensuring this.’
‘For there to be an agreement, we need a multiannual financial framework with sufficient resources to finance our policies for the future. Digital, research, youth and education, health in times of crisis cannot be sacrificed for a "rate of return".
‘There is also a need for greater clarity on own resources. It is not serious to borrow such an amount without really knowing how we are going to pay it back! A clear interinstitutional commitment is therefore essential, making it possible to adopt new own resources before the start of the repayment of the loans.
‘My Group will only support this package if it contains solid guarantees to make European funds conditional to respect of the rule of law. Not just lip service but concretely in real terms.’
‘We need a new system with clear rules: this is not aimed at against Hungary nor against Poland or any other Member State but to ensure that European money no longer finances governments which continuously turn their backs on our fundamental values on a daily basis.’
‘This European Council has once again proved that the European project cannot be limited to the sum of national interests in which each one brandishes its veto. We have a shared future, but we also have shared challenges, shared failures and shared success.’
‘Let us use the opportunity of the Conference on the Future of Europe to redefine governance, prioritize the interests of our European citizens and try to bring the magic back to this European project.’
ENDS